"Rowan Atkinson has been publicly worrying that the (Religious Hatred) Bill will stop comedians making jokes about Islam. Comedians don't make jokes about Islam. They make jokes about politicians and Jesus Christ and English vicars but we're just too frigging gutless to apply the same satirical intensity to Islam. The penalties, as Theo van Gogh found out, can be more severe than anything [government minister] Mr. Goggins is proposing."

Which is the second strange thing. Because, as we're always being told, the death penalty isn't a deterrent. And the people who tell us that are the same people who are keeping their heads down now.

Ha ha - it's on this sort of thing you're at your best. Aren't they absolutely pathetic? My own view is that the British press were right not to publish but as you point out, given their previous conduct, they can't help looking a bit pussilanimous. That's because they are pussilanimous.